Restored Mission Drive-In mural may keep 'human presence'

City might alter depiction of San José chapel.

By Scott Huddleston :
July 11, 2012
: Updated: July 12, 2012 12:18am

Nick Calzoncit (left) voices his concerns to Felix Padrón, director of the city’s Office of Cultural Affairs, and others at the public meeting. Padrón told the group the design touches on sensitive areas and “is not a done deal yet.”

Photo By COURTESY ILLUSTRATION/CITY OF SAN ANTONIO

The city has unveiled this new design for the 1948 mural, which removes two men in sombreros and replaces them with nonhuman elements — a wall and greenery.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/San Antonio Express-News

In a spirited discussion, Santiago Talamantez voices his concerns about proposed design elements.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/San Antonio Express-News

Felix Padrón, Director of the Office of Cultural Affairs for the City of San Antonio, leads a public meeting for discussion on the Mission Drive-In marquee and mural restoration at the Mission Branch Library in San Antonio on Tuesday, July 10, 2012.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/San Antonio Express-News

Diane Uriegas watches as citizens voice their concerns to Felix Padrón, Director of the Office of Cultural Affairs for the City of San Antonio, center, and others in attendance at a public meeting for discussion on the Mission Drive-In marquee and mural restoration at the Mission Branch Library in San Antonio on Tuesday, July 10, 2012.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/San Antonio Express-News

Mary Torres, of the Pacuache-Tilijaya Coahuilteca Tribe of Tejas, holds up a Texas Historical Commission poster as an example of something similar to what she would like to see painted for the proposed mural, during a public meeting for discussion on the Mission Drive-In marquee and mural restoration at the Mission Branch Library in San Antonio on Tuesday, July 10, 2012.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/San Antonio Express-News

Nick Calzoncit (left) voices his concerns to Felix Padrón, Director of the Office of Cultural Affairs for the City of San Antonio, and others in attendance at a public meeting for discussion on the Mission Drive-In marquee and mural restoration at the Mission Branch Library in San Antonio on Tuesday, July 10, 2012.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/San Antonio Express-News

Nick Calzoncit (left) voices his concerns to Felix Padrón, Director of the Office of Cultural Affairs for the City of San Antonio and others in attendance at a public meeting for discussion on the Mission Drive-In marquee and mural restoration at the Mission Branch Library in San Antonio on Tuesday, July 10, 2012.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/San Antonio Express-News

Nick Calzoncit (left) voices his concerns to Felix Padrón, Director of the Office of Cultural Affairs for the City of San Antonio and others in attendance at a public meeting for discussion on the Mission Drive-In marquee and mural restoration at the Mission Branch Library in San Antonio on Tuesday, July 10, 2012.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/San Antonio Express-News

Diane Uriegas (right) voices her concerns to Felix Padrón, Director of the Office of Cultural Affairs for the City of San Antonio, center, and others in attendance at a public meeting for discussion on the Mission Drive-In marquee and mural restoration at the Mission Branch Library in San Antonio on Tuesday, July 10, 2012.

More Information

The Mission Drive-In mural restoration project has survived one controversy, only to get entangled in another: whether to include an image of an American Indian.

After hearing mixed responses at a contentious community meeting Tuesday night, the city might alter its design for the movie marquee mural depicting the chapel of Mission San José to include one or more figures representing the mission's early inhabitants, particularly the indigenous people who built it.

In response to criticism, the city proposed removing two men in sombreros from the original 1948 version of the mural, and replacing them with nonhuman elements — a wall and greenery at the mission. Some felt the human figures, especially one that appeared to be napping, were racially insensitive by current standards.

Of about 75 people at the meeting, several spoke on behalf of American Indians. A few said restoring the mural without any human element would erase the history of the people whose hands built the mission walls and structures.

Heather Eichling, public information officer with the cultural affairs office, said Wednesday that the addition of figurative elements “representing the native Indian community may be considered” when the project is presented for approval next month to the Historic and Design Review Commission. The city has relied on a black-and-white photo of the mural, but has studied a full-color version and is asking the public for other photos of the marquee.

The $160,000 project is part of a redevelopment of the former Mission Drive-In Theatre site, which has a branch library and will include retail space and housing. The site, in the 3100 block of Roosevelt Avenue, is by the mission.

Jimmy LeFlore, director of Public Art San Antonio, said the city staff and its consultant, SRO Associates, sought to create an authentic scene of the mission as it has appeared for many years. But some at the meeting insisted the mural include a historically accurate human element.

More than 20 indigenous groups lived at San José under the supervision of Franciscan missionaries and were protected from hostile invaders while being converted to Christianity during the colonization of New Spain in the 1700s and early 1800s. Many of its inhabitants were Coahuiltecan; some were Karankawan, Caddoan or Lipan Apache.

Padrón told the group the design touches on sensitive areas and “is not a done deal yet.”